Sunday, February 27, 2011

Mugged: Jamaica Blue Mountain [Marley Coffee]

Though I can't say I know a lot about Bob Marley, I definitely did not peg him as a potential coffee farmer. Yet apparently, to carry on his dream, his son Rohan runs the coffee company Marley Coffee. While I'd never really heard of it prior, when the folks at Cooking.com offered to send me a pound or two to review, I felt the coffee sounded like something worth checking out.

The first of two coffees I sampled was their Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. Always an expensive coffee due attention it garnered for little bitterness and smoothness (much of it goes to Japan), I was curious to give it a jab, as Jamaican Blues can be either decent or amazing (and rarely worth the big price tag).

Upon first interaction, the coffee had little aroma and seemed overall to be a little old. To test Marley's medium roast JBM, I sampled it via drip and french press (my siphon was out of commission).

The drip produced a coffee with notes of honey, baked pear, butter, granola, little grass, little soft pretzel and a little sunflower seed. Though the coffee did not prove as fresh as I would have hoped, it proved to be a good, mellow coffee.

The french press reaped granola, honey, little more of a tart pear, butter, tad darker in flavor, and a bit of vanilla and milk. This brew was a little heavier.

As it might seem obvious, I think had I ordered the coffee straight from Marley Coffee versus going through Cooking.com, I might have had fresher coffee. Thus, if you're looking for a fair Jamaican Blue Mountain, try Marley Coffee.

note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.

9 comments:

Bill, actually I've been wanting to try JBM Coffee, because I was curious cause the coffee was referred to as the second most expensive coffee after Luwak Coffee, but you only give rating of 3 +. Well then, if not try it do not lose, right ?

I knew that Bob Marley was a farmer, but not a coffee farmer. Sounds like some very interesting tasting coffee. How long did it take you to get the coffee after you ordered it? I will have to try it seeing how a good friend of mine loves Bob Marley. Thanks for the info

I disagree that Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee isn't worth the price. It is. If you have the right coffee. Blue Mountain is only grown in a certain part of the mountain range and at a certain altitude. Freshness is also an issue. If it is packaged too early and sitting too long, maybe not as worthy. Try St. Mary Market's Blue Mountain Coffee and then come back to me on whether Jamaica's Blue Mountain is the absolute best coffee on the planet.

While many Japanese have a taste for the finer things in life, sometimes that taste is acquired for 'show' or status purposes, rather than appreciation.

Whisky, truffles, salmon, French wines, etc. are some of the other exports to Japan that are doing well there for this reason.

That Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is added to the list should hardly be surprising. It has all the right qualities: exclusive branding, expensive, rare, and good word of mouth in Japan.

In one episode of The Secret Caribbean, the UK newscaster Trevor McDonald visits Jamaica and takes a trip up to see where the coffee is grown. Well worth watching and unbelievable at the conditions the coffee is grown under.

Blue mountain coffee gives you an excellent blend of flavors, since i started cup testing coffee in 2006 i've gathered some amount of knowledge on flavors from around the world. JBM is relatively priced for the quality compared to the price of other sub-standard brands. My best tasting cup of JBM coffee is made from pure 100% Pea berry beans.